Become a millionaire thanks to a footstool in the toilet

A doctor's advice to elevate her legs to relieve constipation turned into a family business idea for Judy Edwards.

“People’s reaction is like, ‘Why didn’t I think of that?’” says Bobby Edwards, 41, founder and CEO of Squatty Potty.

The idea came from Bobby’s mother, Judy Edwards. She had been suffering from constipation for a long time, and her age had made it worse. A few years ago, a doctor recommended that she use a footstool to raise her knees when she went to the bathroom. She tried it and the results were quite positive: “Everything was different.”

Footstools to relieve constipation in the toilet have also become a business idea.

Her husband, Bill, was also surprised. “We both thought, ‘Wow, I’ve lived to be over 60 and I never knew this,’” he recalled.

But the footstools they bought outside weren’t quite right. And Bobby immediately saw a business opportunity. “There weren’t any chairs on the market that really fit the bill. So we decided to make this,” he says.

They first made a wooden footstool and called it the Squatty Potty. The Bobbys started by giving footstools to friends as a joke. “But when people started using them, I saw the results on their faces,” Bobby says. So he, his parents, and his brother spent $35,000 to build a website and start manufacturing.

Judy then decided to replace the material with plastic to lower the cost of the product and received her first big order - 2,000 Squatty Potties from China. “I never thought I would sell something like this. But now, we sell a lot every day,” Bobby said.

At first, Bobby gave Squatty Potties to health bloggers to promote on social media. Then they were invited to appear on a few TV shows. Then they appeared on the startup show Shark Tank, selling a million units in just 24 hours. The company also received a $500,000 investment and was featured in the high-end showroom of Bed Bath & Beyond.

Their first year of revenue - 2011 - was $17,000. Last year, they brought in $19 million. This year, they are expected to make $30 million. Judy also believes they can reach $100 million in the next five years.

The company currently has 15 employees and all of its products are manufactured in the U.S. This saves on shipping costs and allows the company to quickly scale production when needed, Bobby Edwards said.

The biggest challenge was balancing humor and health in the ads, and they even decided to spend $250,000 on it. Their YouTube videos have reached 100 million views and sales are increasing. “We will be making more videos, and of course, the cost will be more,” said Bill.

Other competitors are emerging, but the Edwards hope to stay ahead of the curve with new products, like the portable Squatty Potty that fits in a backpack, the experimental potty product Hippopottymus, or the Double Doody, which comes with a small trash can.

According to VNE